In 2005, a 32 year old man from Liverpool England, died after drinking too much water. The pathologist had reported that the water had washed the essential salts from his body and caused his brain to swell and he fell into a coma before he died. Isn't drinking lots of water good for us?

We have always been told by our parents to drink lots of water throughout the day and to drink at least eight glasses (8 ounces) of water every day. Drinking a lot of water has been claimed to be helpful for clearing toxins, improving your skin tone and even reduce weight. A new research not only threw all these myths out of the window, it even claimed the drinking too much water can be downright unhealthy!

This new scientific review published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, by Dr. Stanley Goldfarb and Dr. Dan Negoianu of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, found that the recommendation to drink at least 8 glasses of water to be nothing more than urban myth. No scientific evidence could be found to support this practice.

There are 4 main urban myths about drinking lots of water that have caused many healthy people to carry water bottles everywhere they go. These 4 urban myths are

1. Drinking Lots of Water Can Quench Your Hunger and Can Help You To Slim Down.
2. Drinking Lots of Water Flushes Toxins From the Body.
3. Drinking Lots of Water Reduces Headaches.
4. Drinking Lots of Water Makes Your Skin Beautiful.

These urbans are touted everywhere on the internet and have also been perpetuated by our parents. Finally a scientific study have tried to provide a basis for them and have found that none of the above are true.

Dr Goldfarb said that there is no consistent evidence that drinking a lot of water can help to suppressses appetite because you absorb water so quickly and it moves through the GI tract so quickly that it does not fill you up the way that people have proposed.

This basically debunks dieting plan that calls for drinking lots of water to fill up your stomach. I have never believed such dieting plans, especially when nutrition companies claim that popping supplements with a hydration diet can help you lose weight within 7 days healthily. Dieting by not eating is definitely the last thing on my mind. One should lose weight by exercising and taking supplements only with a proper diet plan.

The study also claim that drinking lots of water does not flushes the toxins from your body. The researcher said that when you drink a lot of water, you end up with a lots of urine in your bladder and don't necessarily increase the excretion of various constituents of the urine.

In short, don't try to fill up with water to detox. Detoxification does not work in this manner. You will only end up with a bloated tummy and no detoxification will be done.

Where did this "benefit" come from? I have never believed anyone who has told me that water is the "heal all elixir" and your headaches will go away if you drink up. Maybe if i down that extra lager...that may be more useful in reducing headaches!

Dr Goldfarb said "there are no data to suggest that it actually improves the water content of the skin". This is not saying you should not be drinking water, but that excessive drinking of water does not give you the moisturing effect that some hope to achieve in their skin.

The study is not trying to tell you not to drink water. The researchers has found that people living in hot and dry climate have an increased need for water and that people with certain diseases like kidney stones can also benefit from slight increased in water intake. But this is not true for the average person.

For everything in life, moderation is key. Drinking water is essential for us. We need water to survive and for our body to carry out its essential functions. However there is no need to constantly down glasses of water throughout the water and visiting the toilet every hour.

For myself, I have never been the type to drink lots of water. Perhaps now, i will be less guilty when i reached for my beer after work. Cheers! Have a Great Day!